Agricultural and Marine Sciences > Academic Department > Soils, Water and Agricultural Engineering

About
Programs
Research
Internship
Pedagogical Approaches and Students Learning
Learning Outcomes & Job Opportunities

Welcome to the website of the Department of Soils, Water and Agricultural Engineering (SWAE). The department mission is focusing on educating, training, and equipping students with scientific and engineering knowledge, hands-on skills, and soft skills.Tackling the societal needs of Oman to issues relevant to agricultural production, soils and water quality, natural resource management,ronmental remediation, among others is our priority. Our faculty members use interdisciplinary approaches in conducting research and finding potential solutions to the contemporary, multidisciplinary and emerging problems relevant to countries of arid and semi-arid climates, including soil and water resources management, irrigation under dry desert farming, solute movement in the soil profile, management of wastewater disposal, controlled environment agriculture, drudgery and post-harvest losses, machinery and equipment development and technology, computer vision technology applications for land use and food industry, etc. The conducted research topics are linked to socioeconomics, environment, agricultural production, and food security of the Sultanate of Oman. Members of the SWAE collaborate in teaching, research, consultancy activities, services to professional bodies and organizations with top scientists and researchers nationally, regionally, and internationally.

SWAE has highly trained and well qualified technical staff operating its laboratories equipped with state-of-the-art instruments for soil and water investigations, Remote Sensing and GIS analyses, instrumentation and data acquisition, machinery and equipment testing. The Agricultural Experimentation Station of SQU, which too possesses research fields, equipment and trained staff, is also involved in our research and teaching. SWAE takes an active role in extension and community outreach making its expertise and laboratory facilities available to the community.

SWAE constantly organizes numerous seminars, workshops and international conferences. Our alumnae are contributing to the Sultanate in numerous ways at ministries, research stations, in public and private sectors. SWAE strives for excellence in every aspect of its activities. Welcome to our website and feel free to contact us.

Head of the Department
Dr. Said Al-Ismaily
Associate Professor and Head

Vision

The Department of Soils, Water & Agricultural Engineering aspires to be a regional and international center of excellence in teaching, research, and community outreach. Aligned with Oman’s priorities, the Department aims to advance innovation in Soil Sciences, Water technology, and Agricultural Engineering equipping graduates to address the challenges of food and water security, environmental sustainability, and resource management, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions.

Mission

The Department of Soils, Water & Agricultural Engineering is dedicated to preparing graduates with the expertise to sustainably manage land, soil, and water resources. Through excellence in teaching, research, and community engagement, the Department promotes agricultural innovation, strengthens food and water security, and advances environmental sustainability, with a focus on the challenges of arid and semi-arid regions.

Transfer criteria

For transfer to and from the major follow the link

Program Learning Outcomes

Agricultural Engineering Program Learning Outcomes	Soil Sciences Program Learning Outcomes	Water Technology Program Learning Outcomes
An ability to apply knowledge of Mathematics, Science & Engineering	An ability to apply knowledge of Mathematics, Science & Engineering in topics relevant to the management of soil and water resources	An ability to apply knowledge of Mathematics, Science & Engineering in topics relevant to management of water resources in arid countries
An ability to design experiments as well as to analyze & interpret data	An ability to design experiments as well as to analyze & interpret data	An ability to design experiments as well as to analyze & interpret data
An ability to design a system, component or process to meet desired needs within realistic constraints (including economic, environmental, ethical, social, health, safety, industrialization and sustainability considerations).	An ability to design a system, component or process of soil and land sectors in arid environments to meet desired needs within realistic constraints	An ability to design a system, component or process of water sectors in arid environment to meet desired needs within realistic constraints
An ability to function in multi-disciplinary teams	An ability to function in multi-disciplinary teams	An ability to function in multi-disciplinary teams
Ability to identify, formulate & solve engineering problems	Ability to identify, formulate & solve soil problems under arid land conditions using scientific approaches	Ability to identify, formulate & solve hydrology and water problems using scientific approaches
An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility	An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility	An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility
An ability to communicate effectively	An ability to communicate effectively	An ability to communicate effectively
The broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering solutions in a global context	The broad education necessary to understand the impact of proposed or applied scientific solutions to the soil ecosystem and the land sector in a regional and global context	The broad education necessary to understand the impact of proposed or applied scientific solutions to water technological and hydrological systems in a global context
Recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in life-long learning	Recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in life-long learning	Recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in life-long learning
Knowledge of contemporary issues	Knowledge and dealing with contemporary soil issues in connection with social, economic, and environmental aspects	Knowledge and dealing with contemporary water issues in connection with social, economic, environmental aspects
An ability to use the techniques, skills & modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice	An ability to use the techniques, skills & modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practice	An ability to use the techniques, skills & modern engineering tools necessary for engineering practices in water and technology sector

SWAE offers Seven academic programs as follow:

Focus areas:
•   Pedology and hydroecology of critical zone in drylands
•   Water quality and treatment in regions with limited water resources
•   Mapping, monitoring and mitigation of arid land degradation
(erosion, desertification, and contamination)
•   Soil surveys, and intelligent design for
agro-projects in arid environments
•   Combating secondary salinization of arid soils by
increasing irrigation water use efficiency
•   Enhancing soil fertility in sustainable desert farming
•   Design and operation of greenhouses in arid climates
•   Remote sensing of soil moisture and plants in deserts of Arabia
•   Management of urban soils as a medium for growing ornamental
plants (parks and gardens)
•   Microbiology of arid soils
•   Teaching-research nexus in university curriculum of
soil-water BSc programme
•   Managed aquifer recharge and drainage of waterlogged soils
subtended by perched aquifers
•   Agricultural machinery design/manufacturing in Oman
•   Post-harvest quality assessment using computer vision techniques
•   Protection/processing/packaging of products of desert farming

SWAE faculty and their graduate students work in research projects (international, regional, national and SQU-scale) and regularly publish in top journals e.g. Journal of Hydrology, Journal of Food Process Engineering, Geoderma, Tropical Ecology, Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, Hydrological Processes, Journal of Cultural Heritage Management and Sustainable Development Irrigation Science, Environmental Science and Technology, Arabian Journal of Geosciences, Horticulture, Water Resources Research, Journal of Applied Remote Sensing, Journal of Irrigation and Drainage, Advances in Water Resources, Urban Forestry and Urban Greening, Journal of Geography in Higher Education , Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, Sustainability, Journal of Arid Land, among others

Numerous research awards are won by SWAE faculty/staff/students.

The internship represents an educational strategy that links classroom learning and student interest with the acquisition of knowledge in an applied work setting. It is an experiential learning opportunity (that lasts for 8-12 weeks) that emphasizes “on-the-job” training.
Internship provides our students with an opportunity to gain knowledge and skills from a planned work experience in the student’s chosen career field in areas related to soils, environment, water resources, hydrology, technologies and agricultural engineering. In addition to meeting Learning Outcomes, jointly developed Specific Learning Outcomes are selected and evaluated by the Faculty Internship Advisor, Work-site supervisor, and the student. Internship placements are directly related to the student’s program of study and provide learning experiences not available in the classroom setting. Internships provide entry-level, career-related experience, and workplace competencies that employer’s value when hiring new employees. Students must meet with an Internship Program Advisor prior to registering in this 3-credit course. Coordination with the host organizations is also preceded.

Our students are well equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge that enables them apply appropriate solutions to problems faced in the agricultural and environmental sectors in Oman.

Advantages of completing an internship are:
1.   Extends student’s classroom learning into a real-world setting.
2.   Provides the opportunity to reinforce student’s choice of major and career path.
3.   Allows the student to gain practical experience and transferable skills by working in a professional environment.
4.   Helps the student to develop a network of professional contacts in their career fields.

Over years, SWAE has established good training programs and collaboration with host organizations in both public and private sectors entities. This includes: Petroleum development Oman (PDO), drilling companies, large farms, food companies, desalination plants, consulting companies dealing with environmental problems in Sultanate, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and Water Resources (MAFWR), Muscat Municipality, Royal Court of Diwan, Authority of Environment, Oman Water and Wastewater services company, etc. The department also managed to arrange an annual overseas training for a number of students. Recent host countries include, The Netherlands, Germany, Turkey, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Thailand, and Kuwait.

The SWAE department engages the student’s practices stemming from active learning, research-based, inquiry-based learning, among others. The corresponding curricular and extracurricular activities have the following goals:

Equip students with scientific and engineering hands-on skills and soft skills to tackle the societal needs of
Oman on issues relevant to agricultural production, soils and water quality, natural resource management,
environmental remediation, among others.
Develop the abilities of the students to communicate effectively, contribute in community outreach activities,
work in multidisciplinary teams and understand professional and ethical responsibilities.

SWAE students are involved in a wide range of these activities, including research oriented undergraduate courses, internship, field trips, Soil-Skills contents, international celebration of Soil Day and Water Day, Omani Environment Day, etc.

Our pedagogical strategies and the designing of the academic curricula place student inquiry at the center, and all learning tasks, assessments, resources, and guidance are designed to support the inquiry process. Our teaching approaches rely on three intertwined premises: (a) advancing student’s learning from direct instruction through structured learning toward inquiry-based-learning, (b) including outreach activities executed by undergraduates, and (c) facilitating students’ initiatives to compete for and fulfill the acquired grants from national research agencies.